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To protect the religious freedom of pharmacists choosing not to dispense or sell abortion-inducing drugs.
Summary
This bill protects pharmacists from being required to dispense or sell mifepristone and misoprostol (drugs used for abortion) if doing so would conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs. The bill prohibits punishment, including loss of pharmacy license or withdrawal of federal funding, against pharmacists who refuse to dispense these drugs based on religious objections. The bill creates a private right of action allowing pharmacists to sue in federal court for injunctive relief if they are required to dispense these drugs or face punishment in violation of the law's protections.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2] (R-TN)
Actions (2)
- Apr 20, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- Apr 20, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2026
Mr. Burchett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To protect the religious freedom of pharmacists choosing not to dispense or sell abortion-inducing drugs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Pharmacists Ethical Autonomy and Religious Liberties Act” or the “PEARL Act”.
SEC. 2. RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PROTECTION FOR PHARMACISTS CHOOSING NOT TO DISPENSE OR SELL ABORTION-INDUCING DRUGS.
(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other law, a pharmacist (including a pharmacist employed by a private business or government agency) shall not be required to dispense or sell, nor be subject to any punishment (including revocation of a license to practice pharmacy or the withdrawal of Federal funding) for choosing not to dispense or sell, the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol for abortion services, if such dispensing or sale would conflict with the sincerely held religious beliefs of the pharmacist.
(b) Private Right of Action.—A pharmacist who is required to dispense or sell, or is punished for choosing not to dispense or sell, the drugs mifepristone and misoprostol for abortion services in violation of subsection (a) may bring a civil action in Federal district court for injunctive relief against the person imposing such requirement or punishment.
(c) Pharmacist Defined.—The term “pharmacist” means a person licensed by a State to practice pharmacy, including the dispensing and selling of prescription drugs. <all>
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